In my professional lifetime I have given many lectures but none in a venue quite like this. I am speaking at a conference for Dutch obstetrician-gynecologists at a conference sponsored by a drug company. That might explain the opulence of our surroundings--the Castle of Vanenburg, situated in Putten, about an hour east of Amsterdam near the German border. The estate dates to 1389, but the building shown in the top photo was based on the building that stood on this site in 1645. In 1996 a company that had made millions in software decided to restore the castle and use it as their headquarters. At the same time they invested huge sums of money in 17th century original Dutch art. I gave my dinner lecture in the room shown in the second to bottom photo, surrounding by paintings worth millions of dollars. It was a challenge to keep people focused on what I was saying, when they were surrounded by all of the paintings! Today we had medical lectures in the room shown beyond the tulips, and a lecture on the paintings by the art historian who collected the paintings for the software company. The dining rooms are in the castle, and we are all staying in private bungalows that surround the compound. The food is outstanding and it is all very posh. The conference attendees are all stunned by the quantity of the Dutch masterpieces and by the fact that there is little security.
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